The invention relates to a pair of gripping pliers, generally called “water pump pliers”. A pair of water pump pliers is generally understood to be a pair of pliers with a first and a second leg (“clamp” and “handle”), each of which have a handle portion and a pliers yaw and which are interconnected between the handle portions and the pliers yaws by means of a joint. The joint is guided in a longitudinal aperture of the first leg, this aperture being provided with detents. By adjusting the joint in the longitudinal aperture, the opening width of the pliers, i.e. the spacing of the pliers yaws, can be varied with substantially parallel gripping surfaces. By such an arrangement, it is possible to adapt the opening width to the dimensions of the part to be gripped and to grasp parts of considerably different diameters in the same way. A flat section with a longitudinal slot is provided at the clamp, the handle extending through this longitudinal slot. Parallel cheeks are formed on both sides of this longitudinal slot.